


Under Pressure

by jeleania



Series: Making It Work [5]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen, I don't know..., angsty I guess..., mention of self harm, this one's more serious ya'll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-14
Updated: 2013-08-14
Packaged: 2017-12-23 11:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/925769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeleania/pseuds/jeleania
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bunny knows that while he wants to help Jack, Frostbite won't accept it. At least not yet, not until he gains the kid's trust.</p><p>So, he figures he can help in another way for now, start proving himself to the little blighter.</p><p>Jack's not sure if the Kangaroo is genuine about all this.</p><p>Jamie and Baby Tooth are just hoping this all works out...</p><p>(changed title from "Too Much Pressure")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Pressure

 

* * *

 

"So, the teacher liked your project?"

 

Jamie nodded, glancing to his left at the teen walking next to him. "Yep, she was really impressed by all the research I did. Think I'll get a B if not an A on it."

 

Jack smiled as he lifted his staff to rest on his shoulder, Baby Tooth giving her own grin from the other. "That's great! That'll bring your grade up. Not that it needs to be better."

 

"Every little bit helps." The boy adjusted the bluetooth earpiece in his right ear, an excuse in case anyone saw him talking seemingly to himself. "Can't wait for school to get out for summer vacation. Only another two weeks, then I'm free from homework until September."

 

"Don't be so sure about that." Trying to sound innocent, Jack sped up to hover along backwards in front of the boy, not interested in walking on hot sidewalk. The winter spirit shared a look with his favorite fairy, the now blue bird-like being with highlights of silver and her single gold crest feather biting her lip in amusement. "Though I think you'll like this work."

 

Narrowing brown eyes in suspicion, he asked, "Jack? What are you plotting?"

 

Tilting his head as he repressed a smirk, the winter spirit replied, "Oh, not much. Just that I talked to North, and he's willing to have you visit over the summer. Maybe even teach you some magic."

 

Jamie froze on the sidewalk, mouth dropping open. "No way..."

 

"Yep."

 

"I can visit the Workshop."

 

"That's right."

 

"And learn magic."

 

"Uh huh."

 

"YES!" The boy fist pumped then did a little victory dance right then and there. "This summer's gonna be awesome!"

 

Laughing, Jack floated over to ruffle the boy's hair. His small helper buzzed a circle in excitement around the kid's head before returning to the winter spirit's shoulder. "C'mon. We need to get you home and sort out the details with your mother."

 

Still smiling broadly, Jamie started walking again. Then Jack's words sunk in. "Wait, what am I gonna tell Mom?"

 

"That you're going to be visiting a friend with me." Jack replied, waiting for his little brother to catch on. The kid didn't disappoint.

 

"Jack, can she see you?"

 

"As of two weeks ago, yes." The spirit answered. "Not quite sure how it worked, but she believes."

 

"Huh." Jamie turned that over in his head. Well, that explained the considering looks she'd been giving him, and her questions about Jack and the other spirits recently. He'd been wondering about that...

 

"I know. I'm still a bit confused too. But I'm not going to complain." Jack grinned and shook his head. "She gave me quite the grilling a few days ago, went on about keeping kids safe and responsibility in terms of hanging around you."

 

"Sorry about that." Jamie said with slumped shoulders. By the Moon, he knew that his mom could be a bit overprotective of him and Sophie. Not that she didn't have reason to be, with some of the things that had happened during the short time they had lived outside of Burgess. It had been only three years in the city while Dad had worked a higher position in the company, but some scary things had happened. Things much worse than Pitch and his games. Like a kidnapping, car bombs, death threats, and his father's murder, all of which lead the new widow and her children to moving back to the house belonging to the Bennett family for several generations in the quieter safer town of Burgess.

 

"She does it because she loves you, Jamie. It's no big deal." The white-haired boy reassured. By the Earth, if he had kids one day, not very likely as a spirit but still, Jack knew he'd be worrying about their safety too.

 

Changing the subject, Jamie asked, "So I can actually learn some of the stuff you guys can do?"

 

"Magic isn't just for spirits and such." Jack answered, the little fairy nodding along. "North was human still when he learned magic under his mentor, the wizard Ombric. Baby Tooth here pointed out to me that you got the potential, I hadn't realized that's what I was sensing in you until she told me. As for what you can do, it'll depend on what your affinities are."

 

"What do you mean?" Jamie asked, turning the corner onto his street, his brother shifting to walk on the fence alongside them.

 

"Well, each person has things they're natural talented at, right?" Getting a nod from the boy, he spun his staff idly as he continued. "I, for example, can instinctively use the ice and snow, giving me some control of the element of water. Because of that, I'll never be good at fire magic, since it's my opposite. But I can learn to use other spells that have nothing to do with my element. It may take more work than water based magic, but I can with enough study and practice."

 

"Okay. That makes sense." Jamie opened the gate to his backyard, walking through while still looking up at the winter spirit. "So I'm guessing we'll have to test me somehow to see what my magical strengths are and go from there. Do the other Guardians have any element based magic like you, Jack?"

 

"Have plant magic, earth based, meself."

 

Jamie looked toward the back stairs where the new voice had come from to find he had another guest.

 

"Hi Cottontail. Visiting the kids?" Jack called as he hopped down from the tall fence surrounding the back of the Bennett property, landing on the grass as light as a feather. Baby Tooth chirped a  _"Hello, Bunny."_  of her own.

 

"Hi Bunny." Jamie greeted, closing the gate before he forgot. Mom would scold him if he did again.

 

"Hello, Jamie, Frostbite, little shelia." Bunny nodded to them all. Answering the winter bringer's question, he said, "And no, I figured you'd be in the area, Jack. Wanted to talk to ya."

 

At hearing the lagomorph use his first name, the winter spirit grew serious. "What is it?"

 

Taking a fortifying breath, Aster made his offer. "I promised ya back in April that I'd help ya and help the kids I've been been ignoring over the years. I figured I could start by helping ya with those kids who are having the most trouble, shoulder some of the weight of taking care of 'em all by yer lonesome."

 

Jamie looked between the two Guardians, gnawing on his bottom lip. Bunny kept his green eyes on the winter spirit, determined and steady as the ground beneath them. Jack was staring at the other spirit, obviously not sure what to make of what he'd been told. Deciding to nudge things along, the boy asked his own question. "Did you tell the other Guardians about what you found out about Jack?"

 

Glancing at the boy then returning his gaze to his icy friend, Bunny shook his head. "Not my place to tell. I plan on running interference at North's next party, but I'm not gonna blab Jack's secrets to them."

 

Nodding, Jamie looked at his big brother, who looked mildly stunned at that admission. He reached over and gently poked a hoodie-covered arm. When blue eyes turned to him, he gave an encouraging nod. "I think you should roll with it, Jack. Give him a chance, you know?"

 

Frowning thoughtfully, Jack ran a hand through his hair and tugged a handful a few times. After staring at the ground a long moment as his thoughts ran through his head, he straightened his shoulders, lowered his hand, and gave the rabbit a piercing look. "We'll do a trial run today. See if you still want to do this after a few cases."

 

Turning to Jamie, the teen smiled. "I'll come over tomorrow night to talk to you and your mom about our summer plans, okay?" Getting a nod, he watched his little brother walk into the house after a wave of farewell to the three spirits. How had he managed before he met the kid, Jack couldn't remember.

 

Bunny walked over to the winter spirit, waiting until sharp blue eyes focused on him. He could see that Jack didn't expect him to go through with this, that he'd change his mind and go back to ignoring the world's children outside of Easter again. Well, he planned on proving the kid wrong. After all, this was just the first step to his plan to help their youngest Guardian. "Where to first, Frostbite?"

 

"Japan." was the answer.

 

-.-.-

 

Jack flew out of the tunnel and took a deep breath as if he had been stuck underwater too long. He turned in a circle as he steadied his breathing, acting as thought he was getting his bearings. Baby Tooth cooed softly and rubbed soothing strokes on the side of his neck from where she was half hidden in the folds of his sweater's hood. Floating down to hover beside the waiting lagomorph once his heart rate had lowered back to normal, a sudden thought hit him. "Bunny, you don't come around these parts much, right?"

 

"Right mate. Not many celebrating Easter in this country."

 

"Do you know any of the Japanese spirits?"

 

"Not personally." The Pooka idly scratched behind an ear. "Some by reputation and all that."

 

"Okay." Thinking fast, the younger said, "If we come across any spirits, let me do the talking. As Winter, I have some authority all over the world. You're here not as the Easter spirit but as a Guardian, the Avatar of Hope. If we keep it as that, there shouldn't be any problems."

 

"Alright." Bunny slowly replied, not sure what was going on but willing to trust the winter spirit a bit. Like Frost said, the four Seasonals were given a level of respect by all the immortals and beings of magic. You don't want to mess with the balance of the planet, after all. Since Jack and the others were in charge of that, people were willing to listen even if they didn't have to like it.

 

"We're this way." With that, Jack started deeper into the city they were in, leaving behind the greenery of the park they had arrived in.

 

Several minutes later of moving through alleys and across streets, they came to a tall apartment building. Jack started to drift upward, saying, "Our kid's on the fifth floor."

 

With a gulp, Bunny shoved his fear into a box and started jumping up the building, using air conditioner units and tiny balconies as stepping stones. About halfway up, his balance wavered, but a cool hand pressed against his shoulder before he could do more than sway slightly. 

 

"Easy, Aster. I won't let you fall."

 

Steadying, the rabbit gave the hovering teen a nod and grateful look, then continued upward.

 

"Here we are." Jack pointed into a room, Bunny peering at the child's bedroom next to him. A thirteen year old girl lay curled up on her bed, napping in the sunset's dimming light. Dried tear streaks were on her cheeks and bags were under her closed eyes, a small unhappy frown on her face even in slumber.

 

"What's her story, Frostbite?" Bunny asked quietly.

 

"She wants to be a dancer, loves the music the movement the way she can express herself that way. But her parents expect her to go to a university to become a doctor or accountant, something high paying and solid. Even her teachers and friends think she'll walk that path. But the thought of it makes her miserable, especially since she's struggling to get the scores needed for those things. Her parents just heap more pressure on her, and she's breaking under it all. She's gotten to the point of wanting to hurt herself, of thinking of making it all end."

 

His heart twisting in his chest, the Pooka gazed upon the girl. She may not believe in him, but that wasn't what being a Guardian was about. It was about protecting children, there wasn't a phrase saying "only if they can see us" in their Oath or handbook. She was one of theirs, one of his, and only Frost had noticed her suffering.

 

"Bunny, she doesn't need some pretty egg." Jack's voice was more serious and grim than the lagomorph had ever heard it. "She needs hope. She needs to realize that her dream of dancing is reachable, that she can make her own path, that she can break free and fly. But she needs that hope before she can start on the rest. That's why you're here. That's what you can give her."

 

Nodding in understanding, Bunny turned to expectant blue eyes. "I can do that. Can you get us inside?"

 

A moment later, they had slipped through the now unlocked glass door. Bunny pulled over a sheet of paper from the low desk and dug out his special paintbrush. "What kind of dance does she like?"

 

"All of them." Jack answered, watching the sleeping girl's face form on the paper with a soft smile, Baby Tooth listening on his shoulder. "Ballet, modern hip-hop, traditional folk dances from a half-a-dozen countries. She loves them all. There's this hideaway of hers that she takes her music to and just lets go. She's beautiful like that. It's the only time I see her smile, only time she feels Joy."

 

"Hm. Dang it." The lagomorph muttered, glaring down at his work. "I wish I had better idea of how she moved, this is too stiff."

 

"Oh, is that all?"

 

Grabbing a new sheet of paper, Bunny looked curiously at the teen, the little fairy's head also tilted in question. They watched as Jack brought his hands together and blew into them, eyes closed in concentration. When he pulled them apart, a ice statue of the girl stood on one palm. Then it started to dance, dips and twirls, leaps and sways, the movements full of grace and emotion. Snapping out of his awed wonder, Bunny quickly set to work, brush flying across the page as four girls in different poses formed, each movement flowing into the next despite the different dance styles.

 

Once he was done, Bunny leaned back, then looked back at the six-inch ice girl spinning in the winter spirit's hand. Meeting blue eyes, he asked, "Can you save that, so we can give it to her?"

 

A platform of ice formed under the dancer's feet, Jack pulling his hand away so it hovered above the desk. His other hand had fingers spread wide over the statue, a clear globe forming so he was cupping it. The globe and platform connected and grew a thick base, the girl within having plenty of room to leap and turn in the large bubble.

 

Long fingers found Bunny's wrist and drew the paw still holding the paintbrush to the new snowglobe-like container. The bristles touching the clear thin ice of the orb, Jack softly ordered, "Focus on painting the dancer, putting all the Hope you want to give her into it."

 

Narrowing his eyes, Bunny did as told, feeling his warm Hope flow smoothly with Jack's cool yet bright Joy like two paints mixing to make a beautiful new hue. Color blossomed on the dancer, a manifestation of their Centers in their gift to the child.

 

Reopening his eyes from when he'd closed them in focus, Jack smiled down at their work. Sharing a pleased look with Bunny, they slipped out the room. A moment later, the smile that formed on the awakened girl's face when she examined their gift told them progress had been made.

 

On the ground again, Jack looked at the Pooka warily. "This is only the start, you know that right? We've planted a seed of hope in her, now we need to nurture it or it will wither under the sun and rain."

 

"I know, Jackie. You don't need to use garden metaphors to get your point across." Subsiding with a twitch of his ears, the Pooka asked more calmly, "You've been helping these kids longer. When do you think we should check back on her?"

 

Crossing his arms, he tilted his head as he stared at the lagomorph. "This will take time. Weeks if not months. It will be lots of work and a fair bit of attention."

 

He thought back to the tiny tendril of Hope he had felt start to cautiously unfurl with the child in the apartment above them. The seedling was so small, so fragile, so easily smothered... He wouldn't let that happen, not without a hell of a fight. Meeting judging blue eyes, Bunny seriously replied. "I know, I've nurtured seedlings before. I'm willing to give the time and effort for her. And for every other kid I can."

 

Reading the message in those green eyes that he was one of those kids the Pooka would help, Jack looked away as he stated. "We'll check on her night after tomorrow."

 

"Alright. Now -"

 

"Interesting to see you here, Fuyu-san." A female voice interrupted.

 

Jack quickly shifted around, placing himself between the rabbit and the kimono-wearing woman who had stepped out of the shadows, Baby Tooth wisely burrowing into his hoodie's folds. With a small bow and in flawless Japanese, he said, "Greetings, josei-san. I hope we have not disrupted your day."

 

"You and Usagi-san have not disturbed me, Fuyu-san." Her inhumanly bright violet eyes peered at them, her orate kimono of a very old style sweeping the ground as she stepped forward a pace for a closer look. "I was merely curious as to your companion's presence in my land."

 

"We came to see to the well-being of a child in our role as Guardians. My companion is here in his capacity as the Avatar of Hope."

 

The woman stared them a moment longer. "Will he be returning here?"

 

"Until the child no longer needs him, yes." Jack shifted the grip of his staff slightly, hoping things would not get messy.

 

"I see. Until our paths next cross, Fuyu-san." She stepped back, then turned slowly to pad on silent sandeled feet back into the shadows.

 

Giving her fading back a small bow, Jack replied, "May you have a good evening, josei-san." Once he could no longer sense her, he relaxed tense muscles and turned back to his furry compatriot, switching back to English as he said in a relieved rush. "Okay, what were you going to say?"

 

Glancing at where the Japanese woman had been, Bunny cautiously asked, "All's well, mate?"

 

The teen took a breath and assured the pooka as Baby Tooth nodded in accompaniment, "Yeah. She was one of the older spirits. They're kinda territorial. As long as you don't go dropping eggs around here, we won't be bothered. Some may watch out of curiosity of you, but they won't do anything."

 

"Alright, I'll take your word for it." Bunny said slowly.

 

Blue eyes glinted with dark promise as their owner's posture shifted into something hinting at the danger of a winter's blizzard. "They know you're a Guardian, and, more importantly, that you're with me. Kinda makes it so you're under my protection while here. If they mess with you, I'll bring a ice storm down on them and they know it."

 

Well, he wasn't going to say no to having a Seasonal guarding his back. After all, Jack had gone toe-to-toe alone against Pitch before and came out on top. And that was before his powers starting growing due to gaining believers. Wariness easing away, Bunny asked his original question. "Where to next? You can't tell me that she's the only kid out there who needs some Hope."

 

With a little grin, Jack answered, "Next is in South Korea. We'll work our way westward."

 

"Got it." With a tap of his foot, Bunny opened a tunnel. He was about to jump in when he got a glimpse of the teen's face. Brow furrowing, he asked "Something wrong with my tunnels, mate?"

 

Jack whipped his head toward Bunny, opened and shut his mouth a time or two, then looked away. He felt a blue blush start forming on his ears and cheekbones. Twisting his staff, he grudgingly said, "Well, you don't like heights. I'm not fond of small enclosed places."

 

Blinking at the admission, Bunny quickly recovered. "It's not a long flight to Korea. Want to meet me there?"

 

Jack bit his lip, then shook his head. "No. I need to do this. I can't let this control me."

 

Understanding, Bunny moved to the edge of the hole. "I'll move fast and keep it short."

 

"Bunny." Jack grabbed the Pooka's bicep before he could jump, pinning him with an earnest gaze. "I don't know quite how you do the whole space-twisting distance-shortening thing. But don't go hurting yourself or straining anything for me. I'll manage. Really."

 

Gently freeing himself from the restraining hand, Bunny patted the teen's arm. "I got that, Frostbite. I won't hurt myself. Doesn't mean I won't try to make this easier for ya. I won't let you fall either." Seeing the message get across, he dropped into the tunnel.

 

After a blink and a muttered "Silly Bunny", Jack took a deep breath and plunged into the earth, his little blue helper clinging to his hoodie for the ride.

 

A sprig of white heather sprouted in their wake.

 

* * *

 

 

Translation:

 

fuyu - japanese - winter

usagi - japanese - rabbit

 

josei - japanese - polite form of woman

-san - respectful japanese suffix, like "Mister" or "Missus"

 

white heather supposedly means "protection, wishes will come true"

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, I get to bringing Bunny back into the story. And the darker aspects of the 'verse return for a bit.


End file.
